


one of the others

by HeavenlyDusk



Category: Katekyou Hitman Reborn!
Genre: Alternate Universe, Deities, Gen, Immortal!Skull, Magic, in which skull is actually the child of a deity, this is purely self-indulgent skull stuff, this was only supposed to be a quick thing but then
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-06
Updated: 2018-06-06
Packaged: 2019-05-18 20:13:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,186
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14859512
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HeavenlyDusk/pseuds/HeavenlyDusk
Summary: Otherworldly beings cannot die, so it stands to reason that their children cannot die either.Skull never claimed to be mortal.





	one of the others

**Author's Note:**

> This is what I do instead of writing what I'm supposed to be writing. I really just planned for this to be a thing where the Arcobaleno meet Skull's mom and are like "WTF SKULL" but then it turned into 7k words of worldbuilding and Skull-monologues. I think I write way too much about magic.
> 
> There's going to be a LOT of vague implications in this, and for the most part, I'll let you figure things out, but I will provide a few explanations on the Deities mentioned in the final notes. Also, timelines are evil and I accidentally left out Yuni and Aria because I have zero idea how to write them. Sorry to everyone who loves them ^^;
> 
> Have fun reading!

“Why have you called me here, Kawahira?” Nikon stands defiant across from him. Neither of them are willing to give anything away. He can’t tell what the other man is thinking.

“You’re a Cloud,” Kawahira begins. Nikon nods. “There are no current Clouds in the world strong enough to contain the Arcobaleno curse within themselves. You are the next best candidate.”

Nikon frowns, barely able to keep from snarling. “Neither Mother nor I approve of what it is you do. What makes you believe I’ll take this curse on for myself?”

“This time, it is either yourself, or a mortal.” Kawahira smiles sadly. Nikon wants to tear it from his face. How _dare_ he act remorseful when he’s the one making the mortals suffer as they have? They may not have discovered a new solution, but they _could_. If only Kawahira would _listen to them._ Nikon hates that he knows exactly where his weakness lies—with mortals. It doesn’t matter how awful they are, or how weak. All of them matter. Like his Mother, and his Mother’s other half, and his family have always felt and taught him. Mortals are a soft spot for most Others.

“That’s low, Kawahira,” Nikon says lowly.

“I know. But it must be done.”

“Mother and Viv will not be happy with you,” he warns.

“It is only until I can find a new replacement. This curse is only meant for mortals, not being such as yourselves. You should have no permanent affects from it.”

“Unlike the mortals you forced into this.”

“Unlike them, yes. Please, Nikon. The world must be put first.”

Nikon grits his teeth. Crosses his arms and glowers. “Just this once. Never again.”

Kawahira smiles again. “Thank you.”

“One day, Kawahira,” Nikon says, already making his way out of the room, “someone is going to become tired of you and do what _you’re_ too arrogant to even consider.”

“It’s for the good of the world.”

“What’s the point of keeping the world alive if you don’t try to keep the people on it happy?”

* * *

Unlike his Mother and Viv and all of the Others, children like Nikon are capable of interacting with mortals as they please. They don’t come into existence with specified Roles, so when they aren’t completing the odd job here and there, they typically “live” out their days as mortals. Some choose to stay within the Other Realm with their parents, but there’s only so much to do in their immortal lives. Nikon has never been the sort to stay in one place for long.

Ever since he grew to a suitable age, Nikon has spent most of his time with mortals when he wasn’t doing a Job or spending time with the Others. He claimed many names and got himself involved in many different lives. He became a knight in one period, and in another he was a politician. Neither were very satisfying. In a few periods, he became a vigilante and that had been fun. Sometimes, he settled into a normal life before allowing himself to fade from the period’s existence.

This mortal period, he has one name. The times when Nikon was simply another nameless face in the crowd had been boring, and so he chose to grow into something more exciting. _The Immortal Stuntman,_ the tabloids called him. _The man hated by death._ Nikon laughs about it with his mother and siblings later. No one knows the irony of the statement, or the truth in the title.

It is this name that he chooses to use as an alias. He’s very doubtful that anyone will recognize his _true_ name, but it’s easier to adopt another personality when he’s using an alias. Skull de Mort—a play on his Mother’s Role that had her shaking her head at him—is the playful, exuberant part of Nikon’s personality, making for interesting shows and a friendly face for fans.

Except Skull de Mort has never had dealings with the mafia.

It is, in all honesty, a non-issue. _Skull_ may have not dealt with the mafia, but _Nikon_ has. It’s been centuries, but he still pays a little bit of attention, and no mortal could ever hope to kill a child of a Deity. It would mean that anyone he goes up against will underestimate him, and he counts on that too. Though he isn’t excited to figure out what Kawahira’s new Arcobaleno will think of him. A cheerful, clueless civilian amongst those who unlocked Isa’s Gift? They would _hate_ him.

Nikon isn’t excited for any of this.

And then he remembers he _still_ has to tell his mother.

* * *

Nikon’s ears are still ringing from his mother’s screeches when Kawahira takes him to the meeting of the Seven Strongest. Kawahira is busy rubbing his own ears. They’re lucky that she has paperwork to finish and a job to do, so she didn’t have the time to track them down.

“I told you Mother wouldn’t be happy,” Nikon mutters. “Viv hasn’t heard yet, but they will soon.”

“Viv is gentler than your mother,” Kawahira says.

“Wrong. Mother is gentle; Viv is evil when they want to be. Haven’t you ever heard the saying?”

“I’ll deal with it. Now go on. You can’t avoid this forever.”

“God I wish I could. Hey, Kawahira.”

“Yes?”

“Fuck you.”

* * *

It takes five minutes for Skull’s personality to get him shot at. He snickers as he hides behind the couch, then yelps at the resounding bang right above his head. After two minutes, he peers over the back of the couch. The only ones who don’t look unhappy are Fon, Luce, and Viper.

“We’re stuck with a _civilian_ ,” Lal says.

“It’s not like I want to be here! Checkerface just dragged me!” Skull huffs. It’s not even a lie. _Checkerface_ , he snorts internally. What a stupid nickname.

“Must have been some mistake,” Verde mutters.

“Now, now. Skull is one of us, so we should all be nice to him, alright?” Luce smiles. It’s a nice smile, disarming. It means that, like everyone else in the room, she’s _dangerous_. A disarming smile is a smile that can tear you down without you even realizing it.

Skull blinks in surprise when Luce holds out here tray of cookies for him. “Oh. Thank you.” He reaches to grab one, and at that same moment, feels something. A familiar type of power. He tilts his head to look at her more clearly. He squints. Her face is sweet, but her eyes are confused. Something swims in them and he _knows_ this power.

 _Oh_. She’s one of Moira’s.

* * *

The first meeting ends in disaster. So does the second, and the third. Their missions go okay, though. For the most part, they give Skull the easy jobs since, as a “civilian,” he isn’t very prepared for the mafia world. Skull doesn’t tell them that he still has a few places where medieval weaponry is stored, nor does he mention the modern weapon rooms he has in his mother’s Realm.

As they spend more time together, Skull has apparently taken on the role of “lackey” with Reborn and “experiment” to Verde. It’s mostly funny pretending to be scared of Reborn, though Verde could do with being a little less creepy. Viper is nice to be around. They’re easy-going and, for a certain price, will answer Skull’s mindless rambling. At some point, they become something like friends after Skull continuously pesters them. Fon is more polite than anything in a distant sort of way, but he’s also nice. Lal doesn’t appear to care for him, so Skull doesn’t interact with her much, but she’s fun.

Luce, though, has become scared of him. Not in that he’s _scary_ , but she can’t see his future like she can for everyone else. And that’s terrifying. Skull— _Nikon_ —knows it. Though she’s one of Moira’s, she does not have her full abilities and so she cannot see him. For someone who is able to see the future, or at least _one_ future, that is terrifying. It’s as amusing as it is annoying.

Skull can’t bring himself to hate any of them. He doesn’t even dislike them. They’re funny in the way that mortals are, and exciting to be around. Their missions are just a bit _more_ than Skull’s stunts are, in that they give him that _rush_ feeling, as though he’s actually alive. As though he’s ever been mortal and he really should be scared of dying. It’s why he plays mortal every few decades.

Not that he’s in any way _happy_ about being Kawahira’s play thing. They have only just gathered, by now. The real trouble has yet to even begin.

* * *

When his mother had found out, she had abandoned her usual composed nature to scream and curse and likely destroy a few things. When Viv finds out, a slow smile crosses their face and they hum lightly.

“Is that so?” they murmur, twisting strands of silver hair between their fingers. “You’re one of Kawahira’s Arcobaleno now?”

“Only for this generation,” Nikon answers nervously. He shifts his feet. He has nothing to fear from Viv, but the aura they give off is nonetheless unnerving.

“It’s common courtesy to not involve each other in personal affairs,” Viv says calmly. Too calmly.

“There is no current mortal Cloud able to withstand the position, Viv. If I said no, I’d be condemning another mortal to an unsanctioned death.” Nikon clenches his fists, head bowed.

“Morana is kind,” Viv says.

“I _know_. I know that but mortals are meant to die at certain times and she hates what Kawahira does to that as much as I do. Viv, _please_ don’t let your love for me cloud your love for the world. You _know_ this has to be done until Kawahira finally listens to us. I won’t let the world die. I _can’t_.” Nikon chokes. Like himself, like his mother, like all the Others, Viv adores all living things. It would make them so _sad_ if the earth were to die. He knows this, but sometimes Viv has a one-track mind, and currently, they are only thinking of him.

“Nikon…” Viv reaches forward to squeeze his hands in theirs. “Alright. I will not steal you away. But I love you as though you were my own son. I will not let Kawahira get away with using you like this.”

“Mother already spoke to you, didn’t she?” Nikon jokes weakly. Viv chuckles.

“Yes, she did, but you know it was only you that really solidified my decision.” They step back and summon a cup of hot chocolate. “Now, tell me about this generation’s Strongest. Do you like them?”

“One of Moira’s is the Sky,” Nikon begins. “She’s scared of the fact that she can’t see me in her visions…”

* * *

Skull wakes up and Kawahira is sitting across the room.

“That’s creepy,” he says.

“It’s today.”

“You just love being ominous.” Skull falls back onto his pillows. He gets no response.

* * *

Skull manages to pretend that he doesn’t know anything. His stomach rolls and lurches but he lets Reborn hit him and doesn’t point out how Luce is oddly quiet on this mission.

When it finally happens, Skull has to marvel. He barely remembers his infant body. He doesn’t even know if he ever _had_ an infant body. His magic feels odd in the foreign shape. Kawahira had never told him that he would have to readjust to everything. He’s so busy trying to figure out how to _fit_ in his body that it takes him a while to notice the others confronting Luce. To her credit, she looks genuinely apologetic over her decision, but everyone is still angry. Skull can understand, and he wonders how they would react if they learned that he knew, too.

He watches quietly from behind all of them. He doesn’t know how he— _Skull_ —would respond to this situation. It’s not as though anyone notices. Eventually, he decides to slip away quietly. He needs time to figure this out on his own.

* * *

Nikon adjusts to his body in his mother’s Realm. It’s safer than being in the mortal world, where anyone can try to take him out while he’s still stumbling and letting out bursts of magic at random. Every time his mother sees him, she looks sad. And then angry. Viv stops by every once in a while. They keep their calm in his presence, but he can sense the fury brewing under their skin.

 “Oh my god you’re _tiny_!” is the first thing Isa says when he visits, punctuated by gasping laughter. Nikon is suitably unimpressed.

“Thanks,” he sighs. “Can you help me figure out the Flame issue?”

Isa keeps laughing for another minute before he finally calms down. He wipes at his eye, still snickering. “Oh man. I don’t like what Kawahira is doing any more than you do, but this is _hilarious_. Okay, okay.” He takes a deep breath. “Your Cloud Flames are equal to the power of a Deity, so you should still be able to use them. You just have to adjust to the new restraints.”

“They’re going all haywire, Isa,” Nikon says. “Same with my magic.”

“Right, right.” He nods. “Look, I really don’t know what to tell you, but best I can figure is that imagine your power has just kind of… shrunk. And then accommodate for that. Figure out how to use your Flames and magic in smaller amounts. Something like that.”

“You are _awful_ at explaining things.”

“Well, excuse me!” he gasps dramatically. “I’ve never personally experienced being an Arcobaleno! It just wouldn’t work on me.” Isa is an overdramatic bastard at times, but he gave his abilities to the humans as a Gift because he admires them. If he could have, he would have taken on the curse for himself so no human would have to be an Arcobaleno. But as a Deity—and especially as the Deity of Willpower—he doesn’t have that luxury. It would either destroy him, or destroy the planet.

“Fine, okay. Then that means!” Nikon points to him determinedly. “You have to help me get used to this body!”

“What? _Nikon_ I have a job to do!” Isa protests.

“It’s not a very pressing job, so you can stand to hang around to help me! Come on, Isa! Let’s get started!” He smiles mischievously. “Or I can have Viv ask you.”

“ _Not Viv_!” Isa yelps. “Alright, alright, I’ll help! It’s cruel to sic Viv on me, you know…”

“But it’s effective!” Nikon chirps. “Let’s go!”

* * *

“What the _fuck_ , Nikon?” Vidar says.

“Hi Vidar,” Nikon says. “Nice to see you too. You don’t usually visit. How’s your section of the Afterlife?”

“Don’t tell me… Kawahira…”

“Kawahira,” he confirms. Then winces at the icy look his older brother sends him. “It was either me or the mortals, okay? It’s just a temporary thing and it’s not like I can die from this. My magic and stuff is just a bit… unstable.”

Vidar narrows his eyes at him. “How did Mother and Viv react?”

“Ah…” Nikon laughs sheepishly. “Kawahira’s lucky that he’s important enough? And should really start searching for a new solution to the curse?”

Vidar is quiet for two seconds, and then, “You’re telling Dis. And then we have to tell the rest.”

No one is happy, especially Dis. She ends up slapping Nikon before hugging him to her chest. For a long while after, the Realm is full of his siblings coming in and out to see him.

* * *

Kawahira stops by only once to give him an octopus, of all things. “This is your animal companion,” he says, and then disappears.

Nikon stares at the octopus. The octopus stares back.

“Well,” he says. “I’m gonna name you Oodako.”

* * *

When Nikon becomes Skull again and finally returns to the mortal plane, he finds himself in Russia one year and two months after the Arcobaleno curse had been put upon them. Time was fluid in the Other Realm. He could never tell how much time passed in comparison to the Mortal Realm. He only ever came when he was needed, or when he was playing mortal.

His safehouse in Moscow is trashed when he arrives. There’s nothing stolen. It’s as though whoever came simply wanted to cause a whirlwind. Skull decides not to worry, for the time being. Otherwise, his house is completely untouched. He starts by putting Oodako in his room, then gets to work on fixing the place up, though he knows he’ll have to move it soon. If someone found it, he couldn’t afford to stay in it. It’s a shame—he really liked this safehouse.

His final order of business, after hours of setting everything back to the way it should be, is to check his phone. Phones made by mortals are rendered useless in the Other Realm, so he had abandoned it in his bedroom. When he turns it on, it’s flooded with messages from the rest of the Arcobaleno. Skull gives pause to that. He hadn’t realized the impact of him leaving so abruptly. A majority of the messages are from Viper, followed by Reborn. A few here and there are from Lal, demanding answers, while Fon simply asks him to answer Viper. There’s nothing from Verde. Luce has sent him one, telling him that she had known there was _something_ about him.

Skull is honestly at a loss of what to do. He doesn’t know who to answer, or even what to say. _How_ is he supposed to answer?

“Oodakooooo,” Skull whines, sliding to his knees in front of Oodako’s tank. “What do you think I should do? I don’t know what to tell them.” Oodako doesn’t answer, considering he’s an octopus. He reaches out of the tank to pat him on the head comfortingly. Skull sniffs dramatically.

* * *

Skull never managed to Harmonize with Luce. He and Luce were never quite compatible to begin with. She is the kind of Sky to want to have everyone in her reach, while Skull couldn’t stand to be held back from what he wanted to do. But he has a good bond with the rest of the Arcobaleno, so he’s able to get a feel for their emotions and where they are.

It takes a few weeks to track down Fon, who’s the safest option to find. Reborn would likely try to kill him, as would the others, while Viper would stare at him like they want to kill him. Luce would push for answers that Skull isn’t willing to give.

“Skull,” Fon says when they meet in a bar in China.

“Hi Fon!” Skull chirps, as though he hadn’t fallen off the face of the planet for the past year.

“Where have you been? We’ve been worried sick.” He has a frown on his face, looking both concerned and disapproving at once.

“Ah…” Skull rubs the back of his neck and smiles sheepishly. “I just had to get away for a while, you know? So I pretty much went on vacation and tried to figure out how to get used to, you know, this.”

“No one could _find_ you, Skull. You wouldn’t answer your calls, and went to your safehouses. You left your phone in Moscow. We didn’t know what was going on. Do you know how angry Reborn is? Viper? And you never even got to meet Colonello!”

“Who’s Colonello?”

Fon sighs and rubs his head. “That’s what you pick up on? He pushed Lal out of the way when the curse took hold. He’s the Rain Arcobaleno now, instead of her.” Skull bites back a frown at that. That… probably had dire repercussions. He’ll have to ask Kawahira or Isa later. “But anyway, Skull. Did it really take you a whole year to get used to the new body?”

Skull shrugs. He actually figured out how to get used to it pretty quick, with Isa’s help, but it apparently didn’t translate well in the mortal plane. “I think I just lost track of time at some point.” He’s technically not lying.

“You _lost track of_ —“ Fon inhales sharply, closing his eyes. After a few deep breaths, he opens them again. “Skull. Where were you?” Skull shrugs. “ _Skull_.”

“I was somewhere, Fon, okay? I’m here now and I’m fine! So don’t worry about it.” He grins and pretends not to notice the way Fon is barely managing to keep his anger in check.

“I’m going to call the rest of the Arcobaleno. You know that, right? And we’re _all_ going to sit down and talk about this.”

“You sound so serious, Fon!”

“ _This is serious, Skull._ ” Fon stares at him, face blank. Skull keeps his façade up. “We can’t have each other disappearing. We’re _all we have_. When one of us disappears, that’s _concerning_. We had no way of contacting you, no idea where you had gone, and only a vague idea of how you were. Even _Luce_ couldn’t tell us anything because she didn’t know either. You can’t do that again, Skull. We may not be able to trust many people, but at least we’ve got each other to relate to.”

Skull stays quiet. He carefully doesn’t give off any indication of the fact that he’s _not like them_. He has his mother, and Viv, and his siblings too. He has a life outside of the curse, but he knows that they don’t. They’re all deeply engulfed in the mafia, while it would be easy enough for Skull to stage his own death and disappear until they’re all dead before emerging again. For them, there’s no one else. For him, he has his own family.

He doesn’t say any of that, and simply nods quietly. “Sorry, Fon,” he whispers.

Fon lays a hand on his shoulder. “Don’t tell just me, Skull,” he says. “I’ll call the rest of the Arcobaleno together. _Then_ you can say sorry.”

* * *

The first thing Skull faces is a bullet, followed by a kick to the chest and a punch in the face, until Viper finally wraps him in restraints made of illusions. They face him, eyes burning angrily. Reborn has his signature fedora pulled over his eyes. Even Verde looks displeased. The blond guy Skull doesn’t know—Colonello, probably—just looks confused.

“H-haha… Hi guys,” he squeaks.

“ _Where were you?_ ” Viper hisses.

“V…vacation…?” Skull tries. Viper slams him against the wall and he chokes. “Really! I just went somewhere to take the time to get used to this body and figure out my Flames again and I guess it took longer than I thought it did! I lost track of time!”

“You ‘lost track of time,’” Lal says, disbelieving. “That’s it? _That’s_ your explanation?”

“It’s true! I just needed to get away for a while!”

“You shouldn’t have left your phone, Lackey,” Reborn says. “We had no way of knowing you were okay other than the bond.”

“Sorry, sorry! Nothing happened to me, though! You would have known!”

“Do you know what this means?” A slow smile crosses his face. It reminds Skull of one of Casimir’s smiles when he’s about to fuck shit up. Skull is kind of scared of Casimir, especially since he makes his mother go into one of her moods every time he intervenes in the mortal plane. Reborn is _definitely_ one of Casimir’s favorite mortals.

“Punishment?” Skull asks, resigned.

“ _Punishment_.”

No one tries to stop Reborn from chasing him.

* * *

In a way, it’s sort of… nice. To know that the Arcobaleno actually sort of cared for him. At least enough to get angry at his disappearance, and worried. He hadn’t thought they would. He always thought he was just an annoyance to them—someone they felt the need to humor and care for out of obligation. But if their reaction is any indication, they do _actually_ like him and that’s nice.

So Skull makes an effort to keep in touch, even as they all go their separate ways. They have their own jobs, so the only ones who stick together are Lal and Colonello. Skull takes freelance jobs here and there for a little while before deciding to play with a Famiglia.

The Carcassa aren’t that bad. They’re a bit arrogant, thinking they can control an _Arcobaleno_ , but Skull lets them think whatever they want. They’re more of a way to pass time than anything. Some of them are pretty nice and the boss likes him, which is enough. And they’re not particularly big either, so he doesn’t get much recognition and that’s good too. He doesn’t want to attract attention to himself.

When Luce dies, Skull doesn’t really feel much. She had never liked him much to begin with, while she was more amusing than anything to him. She loved him in a distant way, like one loves a relative they’ve never talked to much but cares about regardless, but she kept her distance. Unlike the rest of the Arcobaleno, who still interacted with him regularly enough for him to become attached. He plays his part as a mournful Element, though, because the others expect that of him and she was still nice, to a degree. She still loved them.

Years pass and Skull sees the Arcobaleno in bits and pieces. He meets up with Viper the most. He likes to call them his best friend, while they always roll their eyes but never argue. They seem to like their place in the Varia as Mammon now. He hopes they can be another family to them.

Reborn is contracted to tutor the new Vongola Decimo and Skull meets him on an “invasion” of Mafia Land. When he sees him, he has to keep from laughing or staring too long at him and his Guardians. They look _exactly_ like Vongola Primo and his Guardians—and Skull would know. One of Isa’s children had been an advisor to Giotto, and so Nikon had visited her multiple times before as her cousin, Siris.

Just like Giotto, Sawada Tsunayoshi is one of Isa’s favorites. It’s obvious in the purity of his Flames and the way his mother would later mutter about him being one of _those_ mortals. _Those_ mortals were the ones that would just not _back down_ and gave her a headache. They were usually Isa’s favorites. His mother does not like Isa much.

“Did you _clone Giotto_?” Skull—that is, Nikon—later screeches over the phone to Isa. Isa is, once again, laughing his ass off. Nikon can imagine the way his face turns red enough to match his hair.

“Okay, I had nothing to do with how Sawada Tsunayoshi was born!” he claims. “That just happened after Moira told me what she _saw_ for him so I Claimed him. I had nothing to do with who he looks like!”

“How did Adira react?”

“Haha… well you see—“

“ _You didn’t tell her?_ She loved the Vongola’s First Generation and you _didn’t tell her_ that they have lookalikes running around. She’s going to have a _heart attack_.”

* * *

Skull leaves the Carcassa quickly after the failed invasion. It’s no real loss, considering he was never too invested in them. They try to stop him, but he laughs and disappears as only a Deity’s child can. He returns to freelance work, bugging Mammon every so often and avoiding Verde’s attempts to figure out how his “immortality” works by sending assassins after him.

He keeps an eye on Tsuna, watching him gather Guardians and fight in the Ring Battles and then the _Future_ happens and—how did they let this happen? How could the Deities allow any of it to happen? Where is _he_ , _Nikon_ , and how did Moira not intervene? It had to have been Casimir. He’s Chaos and Destruction and the only one to push a future like that to happen. Maybe he convinced Moira that it was for the best but Nikon would have to make sure that future never comes to pass.

Shimon happens and, oh, that’s where Daemon went. Adira was never able to find him. Skull is quick to catch his spirit once everything is taken care of and he leaves him at Adira’s tender mercies.

At last, _at last_ , Tsuna manages to break the Arcobaleno curse. He discovers a solution and takes down Kawahira and Skull is back. He’s back in an adult body and it’s been _years_. He no longer has to shrink his magic to accommodate for the infant body and his Cloud Flames are back and strong as they should be. It had been so long that he had genuinely forgotten what it felt like to be _powerful_ , to have _power_. And no longer do mortals have to take on a job they don’t deserve—they can finally _live_.

He gets caught in the celebration of it all. The Vongola throws a party and it’s everything a Vongola party _is_. Skull has fun toasting with the rest of the Strongest Seven and he dances with Yuni and at some point, someone begins a karaoke contest. Life is _good_ and they’re all _back_.

* * *

The first thing Nikon does after the party is return to his mother’s Realm. She’s on a job, so he waits for her. When she sees him, she almost stumbles.

“Mother.” He smiles. “The curse is gone. No more Arcobaleno. Tsuna did it.” Tears well in her eyes and she wraps him in a tight hug.

“You don’t feel wrong anymore,” she sniffs, pulling back to cup his cheeks. “Oh why do you wear this make-up? I can’t see your face.”

“Sorry Mother.”

She shakes her head and hugs him again.

Later, they call the whole family to their Realm. The first five minutes of everyone being in one place is spent piling on top of Nikon, laughing and crying and happy. Their brother and son is back.

* * *

He had only agreed to be the Strongest Cloud because he didn’t want the world to end and he didn’t want to ruin any lives, but Skull couldn’t deny that he got attached. Even though he would never be fully bonded with any of the other former Arcobaleno, they’re still close to family. So instead of disappearing as he had originally planned all those years ago, he sticks around, taking on underground jobs and meeting up with the others every so often.

It’s not often that they all take on a job together. They’re still the Strongest in the world, so it’s rare that there’s anything they all need to get involved with. But every so often, they get together and complete a job for fun.

This job is not fun.

This job had gone horribly wrong, very quickly.

They’re the Strongest Seven Flame users, but even they would get overwhelmed by person after person attacking them all at once. In the end, Skull gets shot first.

The thing about dying is that he cannot die. Deities cannot die. The most that could happen was the relinquishing of their Roles. Whatever children they have cannot die either. But they can still feel pain. They’re still affected by what would be a fatal injury. So when Skull gets hit, he falls. He hears shouting and suddenly, the fighting turns more frantic. His ears are busy ringing and everything is but a blur of colors.

 _Huh,_ he thinks dizzily. _I haven’t died in a while._

It takes a few minutes for him to wake up. Fatal injuries are a painful way of getting knocked unconscious. The false heart in his chest has never once beat. Breath is but a habit rather than a necessity. His soul, his being, is forever tethered to his body. He cannot die, and so all he can do is fall unconscious until his body has repaired itself.

It usually takes a few hours, rather than a few minutes.

Skull blinks his eyes open, trying to get his vision to clear. He groans. There’s a sharp pain in his chest, which is about what he expected. He pushes up on his hands and looks around. Reborn is kneeling beside him, wide eyes the only indication of his shock. Lal and Colonello are both collapsed on the ground too, staring. Viper is being held up by Fon, while Verde is standing too, looking shocked.

“What?” Skull croaks.

“You’re _dead_ ,” Reborn says.

“Um.” He doesn’t know how to explain this. “Clearly I’m not. The wound must not have been as bad as you thought.” The joking tone goes over their heads. None of them look exactly happy and it reminds him of the time he disappeared, immediately after the curse took hold, but this time, _worse_.

“Oh, _corvus mea,_ ” sighs a familiar voice. Skull stiffens. Immediately, the others are on guard again. Reborn tugs Skull towards him, wrapping a protective arm around his shoulders while his other points his gun at the figure behind them.

Skull’s mother stands, tall and dark and regal in the middle of a bloody battlefield. Her dark shadow dress is immaculate as always. Crimson lips are curled into a smile. The only thing out of place is the giant scythe strapped to her back.

“Who are you?” Lal demands.

“…Mother,” Skull says cautiously, gingerly removing Reborn’s arm from his chest. Reborn must be shocked, because he doesn’t stop him as he stands and brushes the dust from his clothes. “Why are you here?”

“I go where I’m needed,” she says simply. “The fact that you’re here is a bonus.” Skull glances around. The souls have been collected already, so she had only chosen to show herself after he woke.

“You used this as an excuse to meet my friends,” he accuses.

Her answering smile is all he needs. “Maybe I did. Can a mother not meet her son’s friends? You love to talk about them whenever you visit.”

“Skull… is this really your mother?” Viper asks. They haven’t taken their eyes off of her since she arrived. Their Flames feel depleted, but they’re still prepared to use them.

Skull nods slowly. “Yes. This is Morana, my mother.”

His mother flicks her gaze from person to person. “Lal Mirch. Colonello. Viper. Fon. Verde. And Reborn. Thank you for loving my son.” Then she looks at Skull again. “Did you know we all felt you die? You owe your siblings an explanation, and also Viv. I was with them when it happened. They’re worried and demand to see you.”

“ _Viv_?” Skull squeaks.

“Viv,” Morana confirms. “Be prepared to be smothered. I promised them I would bring you back for them to look over, by the way. Come along.” She holds out a hand. The shadows of her dress swirl along her feet and crawl over her hand.

“Skull!” Reborn says sharply. Skull doesn’t look at them until after he steps towards his mother.

“I’ll be back soon,” he says, glancing at them. “I promise. Mother wouldn’t hurt me.” Then he takes her hand, and the shadows take them back to the Other Realm.

* * *

It feels like a day by the time Viv and his siblings are finished fussing over him. It’s a week on the mortal plane when he returns.

The former Arcobaleno had decided to buy a house together. They wouldn’t use it all the time and it was rare that they would all be in the house at the same time, but it was a way for them to bond without the obligation of the curse. They would probably never truly bond as Guardians, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t be close. After years of being the only ones they had, it was a given that they had managed to become some sort of strange family.

Skull enters the house refreshed and no longer groggy. His mother follows behind him. “Anyone home?” he calls as he shuts the door quietly behind him.

Viper is the first to appear in a burst of Mist Flames, followed by Reborn and Fon rushing into the front room. Lal and Verde walk in as normal while Colonello trips over himself in his haste.

“Where have you been?” Viper asks, then narrows their eyes at Morana. “Your mother…”

“I’m making sure Nikon is safe here,” she lies, smiling pleasantly.

“You _kidnapped_ —“ Reborn begins angrily.

“I never kidnapped anyone,” she cuts him off. “Nikon went with me willingly. It was the best way for him to heal, and as promised, he has returned.”

“Mother, let me talk to them. Please.” Skull loves his mother, but she doesn’t care for niceties. She cares for truth and straightforwardness, which is why her Role is as it is.

“Your name is Nikon?” Lal asks, turning their attention back to Skull.

“You didn’t think my name was actually ‘Skull’, did you?” he snorts. “It’s the same as the fact that Reborn’s name isn’t his real one. Neither is Viper, and Mammon wasn’t real either.”

“’Real’ is a matter of what you believe,” his mother says idly.

“Right, right. My bad.” Skull nods. The legalities of the mortal realm never applied to the Other world. It’s a matter of belief and spirit that makes a human, so no matter what official documents say, all of the Others acknowledge each human as they are instead of who mortal papers say they are. “I mean those aren’t the names either of them were born with, even though they go by them now. But in my case, ‘Skull’ and ‘Nikon’ are both my names. I usually go by Nikon with my family.”

“What the hell, kora? Why is all this coming out now?” Colonello asks, confused.

“How did your mother sneak up on us without any of us noticing?” Reborn adds. He looks the most displeased. “How are you _alive_?”

“Um…” There are the Rules of being an Other, and then there are the rules. Technically, the Rules don’t ever explicitly state that mortals should not be told about the existence of Others, but it was unanimously agreed upon that they shouldn’t be told. No one knows what mortals would try to do if they knew about Others.

“You see,” his mother drawls, “Nikon cannot die. It’s a family trait. I cannot die either, nor can his siblings.”

“Mother,” Skull hisses.

“Oh hush dear. It’s the easiest explanation to give.” In true dramatic fashion, she brushes her perfect curls off her shoulder and smiles at the looks they’re receiving. “As for how I snuck up on you all,” she continues, “the shadows will always take my family where we want or need to go. Nikon can do it too, though nowadays he prefers mortal travel to blend in.”

“Mother _what_ are you doing?”

“They’re your friends. I hardly think it matters how much we tell them.”

“ _Mother…_ ”

“What are you?” Viper asks, likely the first to realize that something isn’t quite right. “Not even Flames can bring someone back from the dead and your shadows aren’t Mist constructions. I don’t know _what_ you are, but you’re not normal.”

“Viper,” Fon says cautiously.

“No, you’re correct.” Morana nods. “I don’t have Flames. We who cannot die have no need for _Dying_ Will Flames. But I do have a certain power. Nikon has Dying Will Flames as a Gift from a, ah, _unpleasant_ relative.”

“I wouldn’t call him a _relative_ …” Skull mutters.

“Unfortunately, he is still your uncle in a very broad sense,” his mother says, as unpleased as he is. She addresses the former Arcobaleno again. “This is information that should not be spread around. I have no doubt of your abilities to keep secrets, but do try to keep this to yourself. I don’t trust what mortals might do if they learn about us.”

“Who is ‘us’? ‘Mortals’?” Verde says, eyes narrowed in that way Skull hates. It means that there’s something confusing in front of him that he wants to dissect.

“We are called Others.” She spreads her arms, letting the shadows move and crawl along her body. Her eyes glow red. Skull is the only one not to flinch. “We are Deities of Mortal Existence. We, the Others, exist as a result of mortal constructs and abilities. We take on Jobs and Roles to keep the planet in motion. Isa, Nikon’s ambiguously named uncle, is the Deity of Willpower, and the one who Gifted you mortals with Flames. Nikon is not a Deity, but he _is_ my son, which means he has my power and my ability.”

“We’re supposed to believe that?” Verde says skeptically.

“It’s true,” Skull sighs. He runs his hands through his hair. “Mother is a Deity and I’m her son, which automatically makes me an Other and one of Hers. Sometimes I go off on Jobs for her because being everywhere at once isn’t one of her powers.”

“Morana what do you think you’re doing?” Viv’s voice comes before they materialize in a rush of wind and leaves. They stand in front of her, arms crossed. They make an interesting sight—Morana, dark hair and dark eyes and long, formal dress; and Viv, silver hair and pale skin and casual white clothes. Morana smiles at their arrival.

“I’m explaining things to Nikon’s friends. They deserve to know,” she explains. As though noticing them for the first time, Viv spins and raises an eyebrow at their audience.

“Ah,” they say.

“Now who the hell are _you_ , kora?” Colonello exclaims.

“I’m Viv,” they answer. “I’m—well, my relationship with Morana is complicated and difficult to define, but I think of Nikon as my own son too. I’m here because Morana has been shirking in her Job.”

“I’m accompanying Nikon,” Morana protests.

“He doesn’t need it, and you cannot simply push your Job onto your children and your Reapers at your convenience,” Viv says disapprovingly. “Let Nikon explain himself to his friends. We have work.”

“Are you _trying_ to make me suffer?” Skull demands.

Viv smiles serenely at him and takes his cheeks in hand, pressing a kiss to his forehead. “’Life is cruel,’ as the mortals say,” they joke. “I will see you soon. Do remember to call us more often, or else you never know who will be coming to interrupt your dinners.”

“You are _awful_.”

Viv does nothing but nod earnestly.

“One more question,” Reborn says quickly before the two can leave. “ _If_ you’re telling the truth… what Deities _are_ you?” Viv and Morana exchange looks, apparently contemplating. Their lips curve in identical, mischievous smiles, and Skull groans quietly.

“My Name is Viv,” Viv says, “but my Role is Life.”

“And my Role is Death,” Morana adds. Then, as quick as can be, they vanish in shadows and wind. Skull huffs and brushes a few leaves off of his shoulder, grumbling about dramatic family leaving him with the difficult part.

He glances tentatively at his friends. They’re all standing, eyes wide and mouths open in shock. He kind of wants to take a picture.

“Your mother is _Death_?”

He grimaces. “Let’s, uh, sit down. It’s a long story.”

* * *

No one is happy to learn that he had known about Kawahira’s plans. He lets them yell at him as compensation. But otherwise, they take the news well.

It’s good.

**Author's Note:**

> The great thing about being the child of a Deity is that Skull has the freedom to go in and out of the afterlife as he pleases, so he's able to visit his friends even after they die.  
> Fun fact: I really wanted to turn this into Reborn/Skull but I held back. Also, Viper and Skull are my favorite best friends so I had to. I had to do it.
> 
>  **Morana:** Deity of Death. Mother of Skull/Nikon, Vidar, Dis, and her other miscellaneous children. Usually pretty composed, but very straightforward in her emotions. Hates paperwork.  
>  **Viv:** Deity of Life. The sort of person to smile as they threaten you with bodily harm. Very caring towards their fellow Others. Has a somewhat ambiguous relationship with Morana--no one knows if they're best friends, two sides of a coin, or dating.  
>  **Isa:** Deity of Willpower. Gifted Dying Will Flames to the mortals and also to the children of the Deities. Father of Adira--former advisor to Vongola Primo--as well as other miscellaneous children. Rambunctious and enthusiastic. Really likes Giotto and Tsuna.  
>  **Moira:** Deity of Fate. Sees all possible futures and occasionally Gifts mortals with the ability to see the future, but those mortals can only see one set of futures.  
>  **Casimir:** Deity of Chaos and Destruction. Really likes Reborn. Kind of an asshole.  
>  **Kawahira:** Not a Deity, simply a very long-lived mortal. The only reason he was allowed to deal with the Tri-Ni-Set is because the Deities didn't quite know what else to do. They don't really like the Arcobaleno curse at all.
> 
> And that's about it! I was very tempted to have Skull's siblings include Anubis and other death gods, but I decided that would be way too complicated for me to explain away.  
> But yeah, I hope you all liked this little thing! Thanks for reading~


End file.
